Except for the runaway passion behind the "Occupy Wall Street" movement which has been rambling on into its fourth week, the world has been bathed all these days in an utterly voluntary "iSad" mood with the death of Steve Jobs making headlines of global media.

Apple announced Jobs's death Wednesday, without providing further details as to the specific circumstances.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," Apple said in a statement.

The passing of former Apple chief executive Steve Jobs marks the end of a legend, and a storied era in technology, which is being mourned by legions of Apple's fans across the world. They gathered together at makeshift shrines of Apple stores around the globe in memory of the life of a man they revered as a 'visionary' and a 'hero'.

Mourners range widely from the US President to the grassroots, as well as Job's rivals. Microsoft's Bill Gates said that few had as profound an impact on the world as Steve Jobs.

Outside of Washington, Microsoft founder said he's "truly saddened" to learn of the death of Steve Jobs. "Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives," Gates said in a statement. "The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Meanwhile, millions of people use the technology Steve Jobs invented to pay tribute to him. Tapping out comments on iPhones and iPads, Apple fans deluged social network sites with their sensational messages.

A simple line that was tweeted and has been retweeted in different languages might have summed up the mood, which writes, "Three Apples that changed the world: the one Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton's head & the one that Steve built."

He is neither a head of state nor a Hollywood star. But the passing of Steve Jobs, the visionary genius who reshaped the world, is marked with tears and tributes reserved for the most illustrious of icons of all time.

In China, one of the company's fastest-growing markets, Apple fans came to Apple Stones to present flowers, and not few Chinese users also expressed their worry that Apple's innovation would weaken along with the ingenuity of its deceased co-founder. Also, the scene of rush when elbowing and struggling to buy iPhone and iPad must be quite familiar to almost all Chinese Apple users, even when the rare case involving some Apple craze can just be taken with a grain of salt, in which a money-strained Apple fan advertised to sell his liver for a long-coveted i-Pad2.

Now a tech titan, was known not only for his iconic iPod, iPhone and iPad, but also for his ability to inspire people from all cultures and captivate the entire world in its tech mystique. He passed away quietly, in contrast with the information revolution he brought to the world, which is far from quieting down. The spiritual legacy he left behind is immeasurably abundant and profound even if he had claimed he did not want to become the wealthiest person in tomb.

Steve Jobs, 56, had long battled health problems -- fighting back pancreatic cancer, surviving liver ailments and more. He formally gave up his title as CEO in August, after a tumultuous period of years during which he battled ailments. He was replaced by Tim Cook, formerly the company's chief operating officer.

Jobs is even dubbed by some commentaries as Thomas Edison of the time. It is no point arguing whether that is somewhat overstated. After all, it was Jobs who embodied the spirit of Silicon Valley, enriched and enlivened our shared world.

"By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun," President Obama noted it in his statement. Moreover, by contributing his ingenuity and broadmindedness, he catalyzed the wild growth of Apple in the soil of various cultures. That explains why people can hardly imagine what an Apple without Jobs would taste. Hopefully, his successors will keep the savor of Apple and scale a new height in the post-Jobs days.

May Steve Jobs have a peaceful rest !

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet